Florida’s ‘Stop Woke’ Law Could Threaten USF Students’ Education, Professors Say – The Oracle

Sociology professor Elizabeth Aranda said she would not be able to do her job if Florida “Stop waking up” the law came into force.

“Imagine being the conductor of an orchestra, but you were missing every third page of the score,” Aranda said. “There would be no songs to play. That’s how I imagine teaching under this law.”

Stop Woke — which stands for Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees — would restrict discussion of race, gender and other topics in state university classrooms. It also threatens professors with losing their tenure if they violate the law.

Although the bill was set to be passed in 2022, it was blocked in November of that year by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker after students and professors filed legal challenges.

Related: Department Expresses Relief After Stop WOKE Act Order – The Oracle

During a recent hearing on June 14, attorneys for the Florida Board of Education presented their arguments to a three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn the order.

They include Judges Britt Grant and Barbara Lagoa — both appointed by former President Donald Trump — as well as Charles Wilson, appointed by former President Bill Clinton.

During the hearings, USF professors expressed concerns that the bill could constitute censorship in higher education.

A USF spokesman said the university will continue to monitor all legal developments regarding the bill and will keep the community updated as needed.

It could take three months to a year for the court to make a decision, according to Jerry Edwards, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

The ACLU, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund are among the groups representing Florida students and professors that filed suit challenging the bill.

“A government victory would be very damaging to our higher education system, at least to public universities,” Edwards said. “It would take away all the academic freedom that existed, and that would allow the state to construct its own truth and indoctrinate students into its preferred way of thinking.”

This law prohibits school teaching that causes people to experience “guilt, anguish, or any other kind of mental suffering” related to race, color, national origin, or sex because of acts “committed in the past.”

Supporters of the law, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, argued that the law was a way to combat “woke indoctrination” and teachings such as critical race theory.

“In Florida, we are confronting state-sanctioned racism with critical race theory,” DeSantis said. he said in 2021 “We will not allow Florida tax dollars to be spent teaching children to hate our country or each other.”

At a June hearing, Charles Cooper, an attorney representing the Florida Board of Education, argued that speech by a public university professor is government speech delivered in class.

“The government can place restrictions on professors across a range of content and can prohibit them from presenting dissenting views,” Cooper said.

Cooper added that this would mean professors would not be able to criticize the governor during classes.

Aranda said Cooper’s claim “contradicts academic freedom” and expressed concerns about the bill’s practical implications.

“Every time the political party of the governor or the majority in the legislature changes, do we have to change the curriculum to reflect the new policies and priorities of the state?” Aranda asked.

USF professor Adriana Novoa, one of the state faculty members who filed a lawsuit challenging the law, said students will pay the highest price.

“Any degree you get in Florida is going to be suspect,” Novoa said. “Because you’re not going to be taking classes based on your concerns about discipline, you’re going to be learning basically based on viewpoints that are set by the state.”

Related: Student, Professor File Lawsuit Against USF BOT and Government Officials – The Oracle

Novoa said pressure is already building among faculty members. Although the law is not in effect, many worry about the future of courses on race and gender.

“It’s already happening,” she said. “We’re short on professors, we’re short on people who have decided to leave academia altogether or move elsewhere.”

USF offers courses on gender and race, including “Racism in American Society,” “Introduction to the Black Experience,” “The American Women’s Experience,” and “Sexuality Studies.”

The university also offers Women’s and Gender Studies and Africana Studies. There is also a minor in Queer and Sexuality Studies.

Aranda said she might not be able to teach one or two classes, and others would have to be “significantly” modified “to avoid running afoul of the law.” She said that would result in an incomplete curriculum.

Aranda did not specify which courses might be affected by the changes.

Novoa said the humanities could be a “start,” but such laws could impact other fields of science as well.

“This will have a huge impact on your degree in the future, and that’s something that students need to start realizing,” Novoa said. “It’s not about the professors, it’s about the education.”